Brendan Fraser Set To Receive A Huge Honor
Brendan Fraser is to receive the American Riviera Award for contributions to cinema.
Actor Brendan Fraser will be receiving the American Riviera Award from the Santa Barbara International Film Festival when it convenes for the 38th time, according to MovieWeb. This award is for an individual’s significant contribution to American cinema. Brendan Fraser is experiencing a renaissance of his career with his latest movie, The Whale, which is also generating Oscar buzz for the actor.
This is the latest in a cascade of accolades Brendan Fraser has received. The Toronto International Film Festival awarded him their TIFF Tribute Award for his performance for The Whale, and the movie was extremely well received at the Venice International Film Festival last month. The six-minute ovation brought Brendan Fraser to tears.
The actor began his career in teen hits like Encino Man and Airheads, but he is predominantly known for his role as the heroic Rick O’Connell in The Mummy franchise. However, his career also suffered a few setbacks, such as the cancellation of Batgirl, in which he had a role. He also suffered sexual harassment from an executive, who blacklisted him from major projects.
However, Brendan Fraser has become a cultural icon in the United States. The metalhead rogue he played in Airheads made him a cult favorite, and the sensitivity he gives to the Yankees pitching prospect with a troubled past in The Scout has been celebrated. He also gave life to animated characters George of the Jungle and Dudley Do-Right, providing hilarious physical comedy that hinted at his action-star potential.
The Whale is a story about an estranged father and daughter trying to reconnect as the father copes with grief by overeating. Charlie, played by Brendan Fraser, abandoned his family for a gay lover, who then dies. Charlie deals with his grief by overeating and finds himself weighing 600 pounds.
Darren Aronofsky directed The Whale, which was based on a play by Samuel D. Hunter. The movie also stars Samantha Morton, Hong Chau, and Ty Simpkins. Sadie Sink of Stranger Things fame plays Charlie’s daughter Ellie. A24 is distributing the theatrical release, which opens in the United States on December 9, 2022.
In order to play the role of a 600-pound man, Brendan Fraser was fitted with a suit of prosthetics that simulate the weight gain Charlie experiences as he gorges away his trauma with food. The suit was made by digital makeup effects artist Adrien Morot, who also worked closely with the Obesity Action Coalition to ensure an empathic portrayal of Charlie’s weight gain. The actor said that moving around with the extra mass made him rethink how bodies move and that he had to learn new ways to move around.
Based on his reception at the Venice International Film Festival and the two awards, it is clear that fans have missed seeing Brendan Fraser on the big screen. The American Riviera Award is often a prelude to an Oscar nomination, and the critical acclaim The Whale is receiving will most likely put the movie in contention. That is quite an honor for Brendan Fraser, and hopefully only one of many.
